The National Hockey League just released a two minute video they produced commemorating the official end of the lockout. It features cameos by Alex Ovechkin, Jason Chimera, and Sidney Crosby… crying. Liev Schreiber, the voice behind 24/7, also narrates. “Hockey is back,” the video claims. No, that never really left. Just you, NHL. Just you.

For whatever reason, this video feels hollow to me, but I encourage you all to watch it for yourself and come to your own conclusions.

The Caps have been back (though not officially) for almost a week now, with just about every player taking to the ice at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. Saturday was the biggest day yet, with 20 players skating in front a large crowd despite a lack of promotion by the team. A few players were missing, however. Tom Wilson — a 2012 first-round pick who was invited to training camp two days ago — was not there. Brooks Laich (with his reported injury) didn’t skate either with Mike Ribeiro, Marcus Johansson, and Braden Holtby also skipping the session. Word also leaked that the team was preparing to sign former Cap and Winter Classic hero Eric Fehr to a one-year deal. Since coach-led practices can’t begin yet, there wasn’t much else to report — except, of course, for Mike Green’s eye surgery fueled hijinks.

There will be no NHL All-Star festivities this year, another casualty of the lockout. That means no Ovi wearing a hat with a Canadian flag, no Ovi swimming on the ice, and no players just trying not to get injured. Across the pond in the KHL, however, things are going on as planned. Actually, better than planned with the addition of some Russian NHL stars like Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk.

For Evgeny Kuznetsov, the game is also somewhat of a dream come true — it’s being held in his native Cheylabinsk. And on Saturday, the 20-year-old Washington Capitals prospect played a big role in the KHL Skills Competition.

Caps training camp may not be officially underway yet, but almost all the players are now taking part in self-led practices at Kettler Capitals Iceplex (the team can’t hold formal workouts until the CBA terms are finalized). Without coaches leading the drills, these sessions haven’t been particularly riveting. Still, hundreds of fans filed into the rooftop rink to get a glimpse of world-class NHL hockey for the first time in months.

Speaking of world-class NHL hockey, the highlight of the day came when Mike Green got too close to Michal Neuvirth before bulling over the young netminder. Green then got lodged in the net upside down. Man, it’s good to be back.

“I had Lasik eye surgery yesterday so my vision’s a little off,” Green told reporters after the practice. “I didn’t realize he was that close to me. I apologize though.”

Fehr left the Caps in ’11 for the newfangled Jets of his hometown Winnipeg. Fehr was one of the principle contributors to the Capitals’ previous SCOAR MOAR GOALS style of hockey, so his return may bring good tidings for the those yearning for a more offensive Caps team. I’d like to see him take the right wing on the top line with Ovechkin and Backstrom. What do you think?